1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply circuit for a transmitter. More specifically, the present invention relates to a power supply circuit for a transmitter used in a communicating instrument used for bi-directional microwave communication-from general households or small-scale offices to broadcast satellites or communication satellites.
2. Description of the Background Art
The market for radio communication utilizing microwaves has been recently developed dramatically, along with developments of various systems including broadcast satellites and communication satellites. At the same time, the Internet has been developed and digital BS broadcast has started, ever increasing the demand for bi-directional communication.
For bi-directional communication between a small-scale office or a general home and a broadcasting station, a broadcast satellite or a communication satellite is used. Currently, it is a dominant practice to use the satellite broadcast, as a signal transmission path for a down signal (downstream) from the broadcasting station to a general home, and to use a telephone line, as a signal transmission path for an up signal (upstream) from a general home to the broadcasting station.
The telephone line used for the upstream supports only a slow rate of communication, and therefore it is not suitable for exchanging motion picture, for example, hindering promotion of satellite multimedia applications. Thus, attempts have been made to enable bi-directional communication by introducing satellite communication to the upstream transmission as well.
FIG. 5 shows a concept of bi-directional communication between each home and the broadcasting station through satellite broadcast. Referring to FIG. 5, a parabola antenna 51 is provided on the roof, for example, of a broadcasting station 50, and parabola antennas 62 and 63 are provided on the roofs of homes 60 and 61, respectively. Through broadcasting satellite 70, microwave bi-directional communication is performed between each of the parabola antennas 62 and 63 of respective homes and parabola antenna 51 of broadcasting station 50. For bi-directional communication, microwave of 12 GHz band is used for one direction and microwave of 14 GHz band is used for the other direction. An LNB (Low Noise Block down Converter) similar to the one used in the conventional system for satellite broadcast reception is used as a receiver for bi-directional communication, and a transmitter is newly provided.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a main portion of such a transmitter. The transmitter is positioned close to an outdoor parabola antenna of a home. An indoor unit, not shown, is provided in the house, and a signal for an image input through a terminal such as personal computer is converted to an intermediate frequency signal of 1 GHz, for example, superposed on a DC voltage of 12V, for example, by means of a coaxial cable, and transmitted to the transmitter.
In the transmitter shown in FIG. 6, an input intermediate frequency signal is applied to an IF circuit 1 through a capacitor C3. Capacitor C3 prevents the DC voltage from being input to IF circuit 1. IF circuit 1 amplifies the intermediate frequency signal to obtain a prescribed gain, and applies the result to an RF circuit 3. RF circuit 3 mixes the intermediate frequency signal and a local oscillation signal from a local oscillation circuit 4, so as to convert to a microwave having higher frequency than the intermediate frequency signal. The microwave signal obtained by conversion is further amplified to an appropriate level, input to a power amplifier 5 to be amplified to a high power signal, and thereafter, transmitted.
The input DC voltage is supplied through a coil L1 to a power supply circuit 2. Power supply circuit 2 includes a switching regulator circuit 6, dropper regulator circuits 7 and 8, and a voltage converter circuit 9. Switching regulator circuit 6 converts the input DC voltage of 13V to 26V to a positive DC voltage of 12V, for example. The positive DC voltage output from switching regulator circuit 6 is applied to dropper regulator circuits 7 and 8 as well as to voltage converter circuit 9.
Dropper regulator circuit 7 converts the positive DC voltage of 12V from switching regulator circuit 6 to a voltage value appropriate for voltage supplied to power amplifier 5, for example, 10V, and supplies the resulting voltage to power amplifier 5. Dropper regulator circuit 6 converts the voltage from switching regulator 6 to a positive voltage appropriate for voltage supplied to IF circuit 1, RF circuit 3 and local oscillation circuit 4, for example, 5V, and supplies the resulting voltage to respective circuits. Voltage converter circuit 9 converts the positive DC voltage input from switching regulator circuit 6 to a negative voltage of xe2x88x925V, for example, and supplies the same to RF circuit 3.
In power supply circuit 2, dropper regulator circuits 7 and 8 are constant voltage circuits converting the positive, 12V DC voltage to +10V and +5V, respectively, for example, while voltage converter circuit 9 converts +12V to xe2x88x925V.
FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate an operation of the voltage converter 9 shown in FIG. 6. Voltage converter circuit 9 includes an oscillation circuit 91, a frequency dividing circuit 92, a level converting circuit 93 and a negative voltage generating circuit 94. Oscillation output of oscillation circuit 91 is divided into two by frequency dividing circuit 92, for example, and the voltage level is converted by level converting circuit 93 from 12V to 5V. By the negative voltage generating circuit 94, xe2x88x925V is generated. In negative voltage generating circuit 94, first, switches SW2 and SW4 are turned off as shown in FIG. 7 and thereafter, switches SW1 and SW3 are turned on. In this state, the input voltage V+ is charged to capacitor C1 through the path of V+xe2x86x92SW1xe2x86x92C1xe2x86x92SW3xe2x86x92GND.
After the end of the charge cycle, a pump cycle starts, in which switches SW1 and SW3 are turned off as shown in FIG. 8, and thereafter, switches SW2 and SW4 are turned on. In this state, charges that have been stored in capacitor C1 are shifted to capacitor C2 for charging, by the closed loop of C1xe2x86x92SW2xe2x86x92C2xe2x86x92SW4.
After the pump cycle, the operation goes to the first charge cycle, and the above described operations are repeated. Assuming that the resistance RL is infinite in the initial state, Vout is at the potential of xe2x88x92V with respect to GND level, when Vout to GND are viewed. Namely, xe2x88x925V is output at the Vout terminal.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, voltage converter 9 converts a positive (+) potential to a negative (xe2x88x92) potential by the charging/discharging of charges to and from capacitors C1 and C2. Therefore, when there is a large current flowing to the load, the output potential lowers. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a DC voltage higher in absolute value than the output voltage xe2x88x925V, and therefore, it is necessary for switching regulator circuit 6 to provide the voltage of +12V to voltage converter circuit 9.
However, a voltage of +12V is output from switching regulator circuit 6, which is lowered to +10V by dropper regulator circuit 7, and in addition, a large current flows through power amplifier 5. Therefore, power loss experienced in dropper regulator circuit 7 is wasted. Further, as the current flowing through power amplifier 5 itself is large, there is also a considerable power loss at this portion, increasing power consumption of the overall transmitter. Increase in power consumption requires an expensive power source of the indoor unit that feeds to the DC voltage input and intermediate frequency signals, resulting in increased cost. This partially hinders introduction of the satellite bi-directional communication instruments to general household. Further, increase in power consumption is against the current environmental movement.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a power supply circuit for a transmitter that can reduce power consumption of the transmitter and reduce overall cost including the cost of the indoor unit.
Briefly stated, the present invention provides a transmitter converting an intermediate frequency signal superposed on a DC voltage to a microwave signal and providing the same, which includes a switching regulator circuit converting an input DC voltage to a constant DC voltage, and a power amplifier for amplifying the microwave signal, wherein the output DC voltage from the switching regulator circuit is supplied directly to the power amplifier without any intervening regulator.
Therefore, according to the present invention, the loss corresponding to the voltage drop experienced in the conventional dropper regulator can be eliminated, so that power consumption of the overall transmitter can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.
In a preferred embodiment, the switching regulator circuit includes a circuit for variably changing the output voltage.
In a more preferred embodiment, the circuit includes a switching element connected between the switching regulator circuit and the power amplifier for turning on/off the supply of the DC voltage.
In a more preferred embodiment, the circuit includes a circuit for converting a positive voltage to a negative voltage, and the switching element turns on/off the DC voltage to be supplied to the power amplifier dependent on presence/absence of the output voltage from the circuit.
In a more preferred embodiment, the circuit for converting the positive voltage to the negative voltage is a DC-DC converter.
Further, in a more preferred embodiment, the DC voltage output from the switching regulator circuit is delayed, and in accordance with the delayed output signal, the switching element is turned on to supply the DC voltage from the switching regulator to the power amplifier.
Further, in a more preferred embodiment, the power amplifier is driven with a low voltage.
Further, in a more preferred embodiment, the circuit includes a dropper regulator for converting the output voltage of the switching regulator to a voltage for driving other circuit.
Further, in a more preferred embodiment, the dropper regulator is a low input/output voltage regulator.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.